


cut off your handholds

by redimeanblue



Category: better luck next time - Fandom, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Gen, Haircuts, Mild Hurt/Comfort, My First Fanfic, Sibling Bonding, blnt spinoff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 18:02:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30092997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redimeanblue/pseuds/redimeanblue
Summary: A few days into his freedom from the Gekkeiju, Haruta Kojima decided he wanted a change from the version of himself who betrayed UA, and had his sister cut his hair.That was what he told anyone who asked, anyways.Alternatively: the best flavour of sibling bonding is home haircut.
Relationships: Haruta Kojima & Ema Kojima
Comments: 4
Kudos: 69
Collections: better luck next time and related works





	cut off your handholds

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [better luck next time](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28394571) by [nauticalwarrior](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nauticalwarrior/pseuds/nauticalwarrior). 



A few days into his freedom from the Gekkeiju, Haruta Kojima decided he wanted a change from the version of himself who betrayed UA and had his sister cut his hair.

That was what he told anyone who asked, anyways.

In reality, Haruta cut off the hip-length low ponytail for a simple reason: he couldn't stand how any pressure on his hair reminded him instantly of Fury's meetings. The man had found it amusing to grab onto it and yank Haruta around when he didn't expect it. Whenever Fury was particularly annoyed (most of the time), he would make a point of pulling his hair to force eye contact for his quirk. The humiliation and tingling pain across his scalp would always combine to form angry tears that Haruta couldn't hold back. Weakness never improved Fury's mood.

Ema had found him, hair unbound and knotted, hunched over in front of the bathroom mirror, tears threatening to fall down his face. In one hand, he shakily clutched a pair of kitchen scissors. In the other, he held a fistful of his hair, jagged cuts zigzagging their way from his chin to behind his feline ear. Silently, Ema had pried the scissors from white-knuckled fingers, kneeled on the floor and gently pulled her twin down by his shoulders to join her. She pressed her back to his, concentrating hard on feeling zen and calm and loving as loud as she could (strangling unhelpful thoughts like "but you love your hair?" with experienced ease). She stayed that way until she could hear his hands stop shaking; until she could feel his heartbeat calm down; until he managed to compose himself enough to explain. 

"I can't-" Haruta whispered, cutting himself off to scrub hard at his face, clear his throat, and try again. "I can't... brush my hair anymore... I-It pulls even just a little and... and then it's like... like I'm back with him." He paused again, counting five seconds in, five seconds hold, five seconds out in the square breathing technique Ema had taught him. (She let the burst of pride fill her mind to make sure he felt it. His puffed-up tail relaxed slightly.)

When it became clear that was all he'd say on that, Ema filled in the missing information herself. 

Ema's breath hitched. She wanted to hold her brother tight, like she could squeeze that man's influence out of him. She leaned onto him a little more and squeezed the scissors instead.

"I just- I'm so aware of it all the time. I need it gone. No one can do that again." Haruta choked out, his voice strained with suppressed emotion. Ema reached out to his tail with her free hand, broadcasting her intent through her mind as a warning, and smoothed out the fine grey hairs standing on end. A few minutes of square breathing later, Haruta tapped twice on the tiled floor in silent permission. Ema wasted no time in setting the blunt scissors aside and tackling her brother in a hug. 

"Don't you know anything about hairdressing, dummy?" Ema sniffed and let Haruta's shoulder soak up the hot tears sliding down her cheeks. "These are no good for hair, you know? I have to give you a real cut now, and you aren't allowed to disagree."

He let out a watery laugh. "You are literally so annoying. You don't even cut your own hair well. Leave me be already," he said, arms tightening around her.

Ema thought he could complain as much as he wanted, but that didn't change how his eyes shone as he inspected her hard work in the mirror the next day.

**Author's Note:**

> The better luck next time OC's are so precious to me.


End file.
